A new study from the University of Edinburgh has dug deep into the numbers and metrics of electric and hybrid vehicles and their research shows that these cars emit as many, and in some cases, more atmospheric toxins than your old-school fossil fuel-burning cars.

Chemicals and gasses from tires, brakes and whatnot also pollute, often with nasty stuff. Because of those heavy batteries (and the pollution it takes to make them) electric cars are simply not much better than traditional gasoline ones.

you have to actually look at the study to understand, the study focuses ONLY on Particulate emissions, (small dust created from the breaks and tyres) It does not consider exhaust emissions at all (electric cars being effectively zero) so excluding exhaust emissions yes the electric cars produce 15 % more particulates, so you are trading 100% exhaust emissions for 15% more particulate emissions.

All new technology starts out relatively crude. Technological innovations will improve efficiency, performance, manufacturing processes, etc., just like anything else. Also, renewable energy prices are not dependent on regime changes in other countries. So it got that goin' for it, which is nice.

yeah this seems pretty ridiculous lol.... does it take into account the 90 kilotons of oil that just spilled? cost of harvesting, refining and transporting hydrocarbons? clean burning energy..like thorium or nuclear converted to heat and steam is faaaaaaar cleaner than any oil refinery can ever hope to be.

The car pictured is a Ford c max energi. I have that car only mine's red. I bought 1 tank of gas last year and drove 6,000 miles. Yes, electricity comes from oil but that's changing as we get more environment-friendly power station. My previous car was a jeep that got 13 mpg. No way my new car pollutes more than my new one.

This is another example where the whole system is non-functional and needs to be replaced from the top down. In order for "green" vehicles to be successful and do what is intended, there needs to be an infrastructure that supports that goal. The current infrastructure is completely based on Oil and the Oil Companies control it and aren't letting go without a fight. The technology is out there to make a better effort to be "green", but without unification and the end of deniers who are obstructing its progression, we are stuck in limbo.

The "Big Oil" companies are also the ones getting billions for their "green projects" Kalron. You think they are idiots? They turn away FREE money based on principles? LOLZ! Heck no! It is the same few HUGE corporations making all those "wind farms" and doing all that "green research" with free government money. They win either way, why would they fight it? >>> That's just another "eco-weenie" myth trying to explain 50+ years of "environmentalism" failing utterly. Well, they stopped ALL new Nuclear Power in the USA... look at that great victory! It means thousands of coal, natural gas and even OIL burning electricity plants had to replace these that weren't built!! And WHO made the big money off those? hint: not you or me... (it's big Oil and Big Coal, but you knew that already).

This isnt a new concept. When the Prius was brand new they used a nickel battery, and while the car itself was pretty clean, the nickel mines used to get the nickel for the batteries were MAJOR polluters. So, meh. lets be honest with ourselves and admit that even if a million people bought a green car, the good its doing is miniscule compared to what we should be doing.

I wouldn't be surprised if Electric cars at the moment are adding more than not. If we transform our energy supply away from Fossil fuels this changes. I'll read the study to see if they also come to that conclusion. But as it stands now today yes. With that said these cars are ready for a transformation away from Fossil fuels where they won't be giving more.

Add to this that the source of the electricity itself is usually from fossil fuels? In some US States it's actually LESS polluting to drive traditional gasoline cars. This study just drives another nail into the "green car myth" coffin. Note: There is nothing 'wrong' with electric cars! But don't pretend they're cheaper OR greener: they simply are not.